The Cursed Savior
by Wavebreeze
Summary: Link, a feral beast, has been trapped in the labyrinth for eight years. In order to keep his loved ones alive, he must kill the seven randomly chosen persons each year. However, that may soon change because of a blue eyed girl. Halloween fic!


_Author's Note:_

_This is a relatively long one shot (but not the longest I've done) to celebrate Halloween. I focus a lot on action, which isn't one of my best skills, so I know this won't be fantastic. I am all open for criticism, especially now, so feel free to yell at me (but do it nicely please :p)_

_There is a popular Greek Myth about Theseus and the Labyrinth, you may or may not have heard of it. Either way, this story was inspired by that. So, whoever made it up, here is some credit towards you!_

_ Warning: this story may be too gruesome from some people and parental discretion is advised. I don't think that it should be rated M, but if somebody complains, then I will be sure to change the settings._

_In the meantime, please enjoy the story and happy Halloween!_

_The Cursed Savior_

I am a killer.

I am faster than any human and I don't need weapons of steel to defend myself. I don't even need to defend. I'm always on the offensive. No item can ever compare, let alone over power, my sharp teeth and claws.

I am a monster.

But I am also human.

My mother is one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her sleek chestnut hair falls to her waist in intricate curls and her stormy gray eyes shine with wisdom and love. Her olive skin is flawless and men fawn over her. However, she does not let her beauty destroy her kind heart.

I always wonder how the nicest people end up in the worst situations. Her father – my grandfather – is the cruelest king and parent I have ever known. He abused his daughter constantly and, when she was sixteen, was debating who he should send her off to to marry. Yes, what a tough decision he had! Make her marry the prince that was willing to give the most money or the one that would give him the most jewels? What a difficult question.

I hate that man with every fiber in my body. Oh how I wish he would come to my domain. I would chase him through this labyrinth until he collapsed among the skeletons of my past victims. He would stare in my merciless eyes and I would slowly kill him. I would make him live down here until he went mad. And then, when he was begging for death, I would give it to him with the most torture possible.

My mother always did as she told, but when she met my father she couldn't resist. He was a slave and she was a princess. The king should have seen this classic fairy tale ready to happen.

At the age of seventeen, she discovered she was pregnant with the slave's child. If the king ever discovered the child had peasant blood he would kill the baby and the father. That's why she quickly married the prince with the most money and managed to convince everybody that it was his child. Everybody believed this until the boy – me – was ten.

I looked nothing like my mother or her disgusting husband. My hair was a golden blonde and I had the brightest blue eyes. I was just like my biological father in every way. When the king found out about this (and how he did, I am still unsure) he took my real dad and me into the town square. He executed my father right in front of me, sending my mother to tears. I had just met him and he was gone in seconds. His head fell at the people's feet and I threw up right afterwards.

The king was not through yet. I was expecting him to kill me, but he had better plans. He shoved a vile black liquid down my throat without saying a word. My insides burned and pain seared through my body. It was like a million needles stabbing through my heart and somebody banging my head over and over again on a brick wall. I howled with pain, my cries ringing through the city, before I fell to the stage as nothing more than a feral beast.

Nobody defies the king. That is what he said before throwing me down into my domain. My labyrinth.

I walk here now, eight years from that dreadful day. The stench of death and blood lingers in the air but I am used to it by now. My eyes have adjusted to the darkness that I am always encased in and I know this place inside and out.

I amble casually through the dank stone corridors. The walls are covered with grime and most have dried blood smeared across their surfaces. Water drips from the ceiling and bones are tossed carelessly along the floor, some with bits of flesh still hanging from them.

Tonight is the night. I can feel it.

Every year the king will send seven victims, chosen at random, to my home. Why? It is all part of his plan that formed eight years ago. He wants me to do what I wish to do to him. I must hunt these chosen people down, drive them insane, and then tear them to bits with my gleaming white teeth. He does this to prove his power and to show the people what will happen if they disobey him. If I don't do as I am told, then the king will kill my mother.

I can't let this happen.

I continue pacing through the gloomy halls anxiously. Each bend in the maze is covered in shadow, hiding what the new passage holds. Sometimes it will be a dead end or a tunnel that leads into one of the few other monsters with me. A few turns simply backtracks to where I wait patiently for the kill in the shadows. The people normally come out at full sprint and I destroy them before they have any time to collect their bearings.

I pass one of the monsters right now, and they moan in fear at my presence. These creatures are like me. They used to be humans but now they are nothing more than a lifeless shell. They shuffle around slower than snails and constantly moan. Their skin, once was so smooth, is nothing more than winkled brown flab that clings to their rotting bones. I can easily count their ribs and they have no eyes, just empty sockets. All that remains of a mouth is a set of clenched yellowing teeth.

I call these creatures Redeads. And, although they move slowly, their shrieks can paralyze anybody on the spot. Then, as if their prey's fear sends them a surge of energy, they lunge with unnatural speed and wrap their bony arms and legs around the person. In a matter of minutes the person will have their lungs crushed and the air from their body gone. In other words, they'll be dead.

Redeads will never harm me. Even if they wanted to they couldn't, because I could snap them like a twig.

Down here in my labyrinth, the time of day doesn't matter. How can I even know if there is no sun to show me? To me, it is always night.

And finally, in the midst of the night, the clanking of gates opening and fearful people's voices reach my ears.

It's time.

I listen for a bit more, not wanting to kill them off too quickly. A few of them scream and pound fervently on the gates while others remain silent. These quiet ones know that nothing can save them. The best they can do is hope that their death will be painful and quick.

After a while, I push myself off the ground and prepare for the nights to come. I wasn't always this way. I used to be a kind and polite young boy, one my mother would be proud of, but if she saw me now…I couldn't stand to see the disappointment and sorrow in her eyes. She would hate me, I know it.

But, after eight long years of this life, I have grown a barrier that separates my feelings and animal instinct. I am a wolf. And wolves show no mercy.

I wait a long time before I seek out to find them. I like to let them get used to their surroundings first while becoming extremely paranoid waiting for the beast of the labyrinth. Sometimes they will drive themselves insane and think that _they_ are the creature set to kill them. They think they are _me_.

Fools.

My feet are silent as I swiftly trot through a long narrow corridor with the only sound a distant moan of a Redead. The victims have decided to shut up, which is a relatively smart move, but I don't need their clamor to find them. Down here everything smells of decay, so anything with a different scent sticks out like water in a desert.

It probably only takes me a hundred water drops until I catch my first sniff of something besides death. It is an ancient scent to me. The smell of trees.

I take a long, deep breath of the scent. It tingles my nose and makes my brain whirl. I haven't smelled this is in a while; it certainly is a nice break from this dank atmosphere.

But this will definitely not delay my hunt. It would be rude to ignore my guest.

I chase after the scent trail, the smell coming so easily to me, and I follow it down the winding corridors. Whoever this is took a lot of wrong turns and constantly ran into dead ends before getting back on the right trail.

I leap effortlessly over a pile of rotting bones and two bats flutter away at my presence. At first the crackling noise I hear is mistaken as the flapping of the animals' wings; however, once the creatures are out of earshot, the noise continues, and I know it is something different.

I immediately slow down my pace and step carefully forward. My ears twitch at the constant crackling and memories of warm fireplaces swarms my mind.

An image of happier days flashes back to me but I shake my head vigorously, trying to rid myself of it. I can never go back to those days, I have to focus on the task at hand.

As I make my way closer to another tunnel, I see small flickers of orange light dancing along the wall. A sure sign of fire, but why would a fire possibly be going off in such a lifeless place?

My black fur blends in with the shadows of the night and I doubt even the firelight can pick out my form. Craning my head around the bend, I stare into a tiny square room. The bright fire that shines from the center hurts my eyes and I squeeze them shut. With a deep breath, I force myself to glare into the glowing light and adjust to its blaze.

I haven't seen such brightness in a long time and it illuminates the room in an orange glow. Golden light reflects on the rusty chains that hang from the ceiling and a rat's dead body is squished in the corny. Small puddles are formed in the cracks of the stone, mirroring the fire above it.

And right beside that is my answer. A large man, most likely in his late twenties, sits close to the fire. He stares deeply into it, making his eyes appear an ominous yellow, and his short black hair clings to his head.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the male and wondering why in the world he would ever build a fire. Surely he can't be _that stupid_ to build a _fire_ in the black maze! Is he asking me to come find him?

The only way to find an answer is to let myself be known and see his reaction.

With soundless footsteps, I march out of my shadow and into the light of the fire. The man doesn't notice and keeps staring into the distance, as if in a trance. I glance around, looking for any kind of trap. My gaze passes over a large puddle of grimy water and I manage to see my reflection in it.

My jet-black fur is mangled and covered in mud and blood of small rodents. My underbelly is a dirty gray and a streak of tan fur separates it from the black. On my forehead is my family's royal crest in bright white fur. I am the most ferocious beast down in this goddess-forsaken maze. Even my vivid cobalt eyes that shine with rage cannot bring down my intimidating presence. This man is a fool to think he can fight me off.

But he has no intention of doing so. Finally, after more than twenty water drops, he sees me and lets out a startled yelp. I snap my gaze away from the puddle and stare at him with hungry eyes.

He crawls backwards but never takes his fearful eyes off of me. He is utterly terrified, with his chest heaving up and down with panicked breaths, his mouth hanging open, dumbfounded.

This man wasn't planning on ambushing me with some kind of weapon. He is simply a moron. He got a bit cold down here and decided to create a fire. This should be an easy one.

I pull back my lips and show my gleaming white teeth. He yelps again and throws himself to his feet. I lunge forward at him but he has already started sprinting away in the opposite direction and down another corridor, leaving the light and into my domain: the night.

My paws are a blur as I bound over ditches and bones after him. My nose fills with the woodsy scent of the idiot male and I can hear his panting breaths so easily as he struggles to out run me. My eyes immediately adjust back to the shadows, happy to be away from the blinding light.

I haven't even released my full power and I'm already right on his heels. I could kill him so easily now, but where is the fun in that?

I listen to him stumble around the bend and then tumble down a flight of jagged stairs. I know this is coming and I slow my rapid pace down and halt at the top.

He lies motionless at the bottom of the stairs, blood pouring from his temple, and lets out a low moan. He's still awake, much to my disappointment. I enjoy seeing the dumb ones die a dumb death. Besides, head injuries normally leave less work for me.

The man, with bright blood damping his black hair, turns his head to look at his enemy. He screams fearfully as I slowly descend the stairs while he struggles to push himself back up. He gets only half way there when he slips in a puddle of water and lands back down with a loud _crash_.

By the time I reach the bottom of the stairs, still not letting my most powerful side show, he has finally stood up and I let him begin running.

I count to five in my head - o_ne…two…three…four…five_ - and then dash after him.

He hears me coming closer, and his shaking cries echo through the corridors. The darkness swirls around us while we begin sprinting up a small slope. He continues screaming until he finally takes a wrong turn and runs right into a slab of stone.

This man is no match for me. I might as well end his life now.

I stop in front of the dead end and spread my legs out. He spins around, desperate to continue his mad dash, when he sees me there.

"Stay back!" He yells frantically while pressing himself into the wall, as if hoping that it will swallow him up and take him away. "I-I'll kill you!"

I take a step closer and growl.

"Please!" He exclaims and begins to shake uncontrollably. "Please, Prince Link! Show some mercy!"

I take another step closer. He isn't the first person to try to play that card on me. My first year doing this and a woman managed to convince me she could save me. I kept her alive and was about to show her the way out when she tried to kill me.

And she has been lingering this labyrinth ever since.

"Don't do this, Link!" He implores, tears flowing from his eyes.

I want to tell him to stop using my name, but I can't speak. Instead, I let my actions pass my message.

With one swift movement, I leap from the ground and claw at his chest. Blood floods into my mouth as I sink my teeth in his neck. He can't even manage to let out a scream before collapsing to the ground. Dead.

Two women, one about fifteen and the other probably forty, give ear-piercing screams while they make a mad dash down the long, slippery corridor. Rats squeak as they scurry away from the women's feet. But as I come chasing after them, my powerful legs propelling me forward, everything flees at the sight of me. Spiders climb to their webs, bats shriek and flap in the opposite direction, and bugs (some maybe not known to man) hide in their holes.

The women's dresses flap and tangle around their ankles while they throw themselves around a turn that goes to the right. I recognize this and plant my feet in the ground, making an abrupt stop.

They took one of the trick halls. It goes around in a tight square and, in a matter of moments, they will be sprinting out of the tunnel that opens to my left.

I push myself back into a corner and blend in with the gloom. My claws scratch the stone restlessly while I listen to their panicked breathing and loud footsteps. Their almond scents linger in the air and makes my mouth water.

Their whimpering grows louder and I crouch forward, ready to spring on my second victim. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll get both with one bound.

As predicted, they come flying out of the tunnel and right past me. I don't hesitate and propel myself forward with a loud snarl. They both let out terrified wails and I manage to see tears streaming down their dirty faces.

I knock into the elderly woman and pin her down on the ground. Sadly, I couldn't get both but that will be taken care of soon. I hear the girl scream again before running away down the same hallway she came from. Terror really does make people stupid.

The woman beneath my thrashes around, trying her hardest to throw me off with her pathetic punches and kicks. One, however, makes contact with my face and fury wells up inside of me. Without a second thought my teeth lunge out and I bite down hard on her hand, tearing into her flesh and more blood dripping around me.

She screams again and again in agony, so loud that my head rings with her torment. I sink my fangs deeper into her hand until she goes limp and all I taste is death.

I let her hand fall from my mouth and land on the floor with a sickening _thud_. Taking a step back, I quickly observe her lifeless but still horrified eyes, staring into the distance like so many of my past victims. They are a stormy gray, just like my mother's, and for a moment, I feel ashamed of myself.

_No, Link!_ I scold. _Forget feelings! You are a creature of the dark now, it doesn't matter who you kill._

The sound of familiar stumbling footsteps catches my attention and I turn my gaze to the shadowed hallway where the other girl will soon come. Two down, five more to go.

Just like last time, I crouch down in the concealment of the shadows, waiting to strike. The girl races out, tears coming down in torrents, and I don't know if it is from fear or the loss of the other woman. Probably fear.

I let her stop by the corpse of her friend and register what is happening. Oh, she is probably thinking that if the body is here then I must be here as well…

I allow her one quick glance in my direction before I fly forward and bite her neck. All she can do is let out a pathetic cry before collapsing next to my other victim in a pool of dark red liquid.

I step back to study the two bodies again. My most recent kill, the fifteen-year-old girl, stares blankly in the distance, her green eyes glazed over. And next to her is the woman, whose eyes are closed peacefully –

Wait, what?

If my memory serves me correctly, her eyes were wide open when I took her life. Why are they closed now and, more importantly, why is there a single tiny blue flower resting on her chest?

I lean closer and take a whiff of it. The flowery smell makes my head buzz and I struggle to remember the scent. I study it more carefully, hoping to recall the name of it.

It is a very basic flower. A yellow circle is in the center and five light blue petals come off of that. How can I have forgotten this one?

Small blue flower…small blue flower…goddesses, what is this? Oh yes! It's a Forget-Me-Not. The name hasn't served very well, since I almost forgot about it.

But that isn't what bothers me. Somebody must have placed the flower here, for no plants grow in the labyrinth, and the _dead_ woman couldn't have done such a thing. A mystery this sure is.

I look over my shoulder but the lifeless girl is just the way I left her. Her eyes aren't closed and there is no flower on her chest.

I take another good sniff of the plant before stepping away from it. Tasting the air, I catch the same smell filling up my nose. Yes! A trail for me to follow.

I instantly take off after it. Anxious, I move faster than I truly should. This could be some kind of trap but I bet this person wasn't expecting me to follow their scent trail. The fool.

I pass through winding corridors and up some stairs when I finally see a body. Another scent, a woodsy one, mixes with the flowers and I recognize the body as the fallen man from earlier. My first kill.

I trot over to it, the stench of death starting to overcome all the other scents. I internally struggle to hold onto the Forget-Me-Not smell, not wanting to lose it.

However, the task is pointless because the man's eyes are closed peacefully and another small blue flower rests on his chest. If it weren't for the dried blood caked on his neck and trailing down his tunic, I would've thought him sleeping.

I return back to the place where the two women lay dead. The flowery smell is stronger here, but still death's scent overpowers everything else. I trot over to the girl's body to see her eyes closed and a flower lying on top of her.

Snapping my teeth in anger, I begin pacing back and forth. Who is doing this? And what for? What can anybody possibly gain from making dead people look better?

The sound of a distressed scream, most likely a woman's, from the distance pulls me away from troubling thoughts. I stand stock-still and listen intently on the events from farther away.

A Redead shrieks, its call ringing in my ears, and paralyzing its victim. I'm waiting for the woman or the Redead to scream again, but an eerie silence follows.

Confused and curious, I decide to investigate what has happened. Forgetting about whoever places flowers on dead people, I dash through the corridors soundlessly and to the room where the Redeads roam.

Sprinting into it, I barely manage to dodge a large lump at the entrance and don't trip flat on my face. Heals slammed into the ground, I make an abrupt stop and turn to face the obstacle.

My bright blue eyes grow wide when I recognize a Redead lying motionless on the ground, dark purple blood flowing from various gashes along its body. I have never cared much for these creatures, but who could have possibly killed one of them? They aren't the greatest fighters, but it still puzzles me for who would even have the courage to do so.

And, to add to all of this confusion, another blue flower rests on its chest.

My nose is mere inches above the ground as I follow the flowery scent. It is about time I find this person and take them down. They have been too much of an annoyance for me to ignore.

It has been a while since I found the corpse of the Redead and I've been following this intricate scent trail for a long time. What is this person doing?

I'm wandering around the east part of the labyrinth where there are a lot of dead ends. This person – whatever his motive may be – keeps going in and out of dead ends. Either they are playing around or are just really stupid. For some reason, I doubt both reasons.

Pausing to take a deep breath of the scent, a now familiar sound reaches my keen ears. A crackling sound…the crackling of fire.

Could _another_ person be so stupid to build a fire? For so long I've been thinking this person has been performing some elaborate plan, but maybe they are even dumber than the woodsy man.

I creep slowly around the dark corner and stare down a long hallway. The light of the fire hurts my eyes just like last time and I have to blink a few times to get used to it. The orange glow dances along the walls of the dead end and illuminates the person sitting so casually right next to it.

I take a few cautious steps closer while having a sense of déjà vu. As I approach, I notice that the person, who is actually a _woman_, is roasting a rat at the end of a bone. I doubt she has noticed me yet, so I continue studying this idiotic woman.

She looks about eighteen (my age if I was human) and, even through the grime of my domain, I can tell she is beautiful. Her blonde hair cascades down her back and the firelight dances in her big blue eyes. Mud and dirt is smeared across her face, hands, and long white (which now looks gray) dress. Her figure would make many women jealous and men to turn their heads.

It is going to be a shame to kill her, but first I want to know why she made the fire. Holding my head high and putting on an emotionless mask, I step confidently out of the shadows and into the light.

She immediately sees me and turns her head to me. I am expecting her to scream and make a desperate attempt to run past me and into the corridor, but she does the complete opposite. Instead, she _smiles_ at me politely. Her eyes, which are the same color as the flowers, don't show any fear or fury, just sympathy and compassion. I haven't seen nor felt those feelings in a long time.

"I've been expecting you, Link," She says, her voice silky and running through my head.

I feel myself begin to falter, for my mask to fall, though I manage to hold it up. She pulls the rat away from the fire, its fur charred slightly, and holds it out towards me.

"Want some?" She asks sweetly. "I doubt you've had a cooked meal in a long time."

An awkward silence falls down on us and I stare at her incredulously. How dumb does she think I am? That rat is probably poisoned. She wasn't being stupid when igniting the fire, she was trying to trick me into eating the rat. Her plan itself is idiotic, so it is safe to be rid of her now.

Crouching down, I let out a deep and menacing growl, intending to annihilate her cockiness. She just smiles a knowing smile and holds the rat back over the fire.

I'm waiting for her to do or say something witty but she merely frowns and gazes into the fire, as if reflecting on an old memory. Her previous cheerfulness slowly dwindles away and leaves seriousness. Her eyes harden and even the fire begins to darken.

Suddenly, with a detached tone, she whispers, "I was there the day he killed your true father and the king turned you into a wolf." She pauses and my growling ceases and I straighten up a bit, curiosity getting the better of me.

She blinks a couple of times before turning her sorrowful blue orbs back to me. "He killed my parents," she whispers and I see tears threatening to flow from her eyes.

I don't do anything but watch as she rubs them vigorously and lets out a sad smile. "Goddesses, I was hoping I wasn't going to get like this," she mumbles to herself, half crying and half laughing.

She sniffles, her tears finally gone, and places the roasting rat down. Reaching into a pouch slung around her waist, she pulls out a bundle of familiar blue flowers. Forget-Me-Nots. She was the one.

"I put these on the people that have fallen in the labyrinth, so they know that somebody will miss them," she explains, holding them out for me. "I also did it because I knew you would be able to follow their scent. I need to talk to you."

My ears perk up at this and I remember that time long ago when the woman tried to betray me. I won't fall for her games, but, for some odd reason, I decide to listen to her.

"You've killed a lot of people, Link," she says seriously but still in a sympathetic tone. "Many people think of you as a monster, but you aren't. We all know you are doing it to save your mother but I'm afraid I have some bad news…" she trails off for a second and, for the first time, I see a flash of fear light up in her eyes.

I take a step closer and her hand flinches. I gaze at her steadily and hang on her every word.

"The king – your grandfather – killed your mother five years ago."

Everything in my body goes numb. My urge to kill dies and I feel like my brain, heart, and soul has stopped. My mother? My beautiful, kind, loving mother is…dead? Just saying that word hurts. It hurts everywhere, though at the same time I cannot feel anything. This…this can't be true. This girl is lying! She is lying to _me_!

Fury overcomes by grief and I let out a snarl before throwing myself at her. She yelps as I slam her on the ground and pin her there. I pull back my lips and hold my bloodstained teeth in front of her heart-shaped face, hairs away from her vulnerable neck. Her breathing comes in panicked breaths and her eyes are as wide as ever. It's about time she became scared of me.

"I know you are upset, Link," she tries to calm me with a rapid and nervous voice. "But I'm not lying. Your mother and I were close friends…and you and I were best friends."

Is she insane? I have no friends. I've been locked up in either a castle or this labyrinth all my life. The only best friend I have ever had was the slave girl named Zelda…

Zelda…

She had the cutest face and bright blue eyes. Her blonde hair always smelled like the flowers that she helped her mother grow in the castle gardens. Smelled like the Forget-Me-Nots.

Zelda…

I instantly throw myself back, hostility gone and replaced with amazement and confusion. Can it really be her? I do see a resemblance.

I keep backing up until I hit the wall while Zelda sits up on the ground, her golden hair now tossed in all different directions. Taking a few deep breaths, the fear leaves her eyes and her sympathetic and tender composure returns. We don't move for a long time, just stare at each other in astonishment. She is either still surprised because I attacked her or that I stopped attacking her. I'm just surprised because she is here and, by the looks of it, not hating me.

I hear my heart pounding in my ears when she finally moves. She crawls on all fours very slowly towards me, her eyes never leaving mine. I don't move a muscle as I watch the firelight dance around her, giving her this surreal fiery look. She only stops when she is a mere rat tail away from me.

It would be so easy to kill her right now, to bite her delicious looking neck. Though, for the first time in a long time, I don't want to. Now that my mother is dead, why should I? And even if she was alive, could I really do that to Zelda?

Memories of the good times flood back to me. I remember her mother would weed the castle gardens while Zelda and I played tag in the field. We would travel into the woods and pretend to be pirates by the stream or brave knights who saved the lovely princess. I had completely forgotten about her when I came down to the labyrinth. I forgot about a lot of people. At first I would always dream about them, wondering what they would think of me once they heard the tales of my killings. It was so painful to see the disappointment, fear, and fury in their eyes, even if they were only dreams. And now Zelda is here, not trying to kill me, and actually wants to talk to me.

I hear her heart beat frantically and her breathing coming short again as she slowly lifts her hand to my face. I involuntarily shudder when her hand gently touches my forehead. I feel her fingers cautiously fiddle with my tangled fur. The scent of flowers fills my nose and all thoughts escape me. It feels like eight years ago, when we didn't have a care in the world.

She smiles at me for a quick moment before wrapping her skinny arms around my neck and pulling me into an awkward hug. Her head presses into my side and I feel her warmth spreading through my numb body. Without even thinking, I crane my head around her small shoulders, trying my best to return her hug.

The feeling of being wanted and having so much affection shown to me almost sends me into tears, but wolves don't cry.

Forget that, I'm tired of trying to be a cold-blooded killer.

She lets out a startled but delighted squeal when I lick her cheek. She starts laughing when I keep licking her dirty face, cleaning the mud off of her.

She pets my fur and tries to untangle it with her fingers while I keep licking her. I wonder if this would be considered kissing…

The thought makes me jerk my head away and, if I could, I would blush. I may not want to kill anything now, but I have murdered many people. I shouldn't deserve this love.

However, she keeps petting me softly and gazes at me with so much warmth I forget all the horrible things that I have done.

"I wish you could talk, Link," she whispers, her playfulness gone and longing in her voice. "I'd like to hear what you would have to say."

I shrug my shoulders, which is very hard for a wolf to do, but she gets the message.

She lets out a tiny laugh and continues explaining softly. "Ever since I was called to go down into the labyrinth I've been wondering what I should do. People told me to try to sneak a sword in, since the guards take away all weapons, but I told them no. I knew you were still in there, and if I could get you to listen, I could pull you out of this animal you've become."

I downcast my eyes, ashamed of myself. I must have scared Zelda so badly, along with everybody else I cared about.

She pauses for a second, as if choosing her words carefully, and then says in a detached tone. "After it was discovered that you were of royal and 'common' blood, the king killed my parents because they knew about it but never told anybody. Your mom and mine were great friends, just like we were."

She tilts my head up with her gentle hands and forces me to look at her. Her steady gaze is serious as she tries to convince me, " There is no need to continue living down here. We can escape up into the light and run away from here. I don't know if you'll ever be able to change back to your human form, but it will be better than rotting down here. The only way we can do this though is if we help each other, can you do that?"

The labyrinth is my domain, but the more I think about it the more it feels like my prison. It always has been, I just liked pretending that maybe it was always the perfect place for something like me. The light…I haven't seen true sunlight in a long time.

I nod my head vigorously as a _yes_.

"But we also have to save the last three people down here, get them to safety," she continues, looking hard into my eyes. "It will be difficult to convince them to follow you but we have to. We cannot leave them down here to die."

Although the thought of facing these fear driven people disturbs me, I nod reluctantly.

"Good," she sighs in relief. Gesturing past me and to the hallway, she says, "I suppose we better get going then. Lead the way."

I begin to walk slowly for her, being sure that she is always next to me and doesn't take a wrong turn that could lead her to her doom. However, I am not too worried. She did kill a Redead after all.

We find the first person, an elderly male, sleeping in the corner of the labyrinth. Zelda easily manages to convince him that I am helping everybody get out of the underground maze and, after a few water drops of hesitation, he agrees. He must realize that if I wanted him dead I could have done so already without disturbing him.

The other person we find is a sixteen-year-old male with bright red hair who instantly goes sprinting away at the sight of us. I have to chase after him, leaving Zelda and Rauru (the old man) behind. I trap him in a dead end effortlessly and wait for Zelda and Rauru to show up. It takes much longer than I would have liked to convince him we are getting out of here together as a team. Even when Zelda finally gets him to agree, he still glares at me as we continue our search.

The third person is a little girl with bright blonde hair pulled back into two pigtails. We find her slumped against a wall, sobbing. It breaks my heart to see this child so disconsolate. It is entirely my fault that Aryll, the little girl, doesn't even try to run when she sees me.

Zelda is great with the child. She holds her in her arms and gently pets her hair and whispers lovingly in her ear that everything will be all right. The girl agrees to go but says she has to try something first.

I admire Aryll for her bravery at this part. Though she may look utterly terrified, she still marches over to me and places a tiny hand on my forehead, not even looking at my powerful jaws.

It felt like forever ago when I would instantly snap my teeth around a defenseless person's neck, but now I lick the girl's tiny face. She giggles. Everybody loves a good doggie.

Now that we are all together, I begin leading us towards the entrance of the

labyrinth. Zelda holds Aryll's hand and we walk in front together with Mido and Rauru

taking up the rear. I have only one fear on my mind, and that is passing through the room where the Redeads lurk. I would tell them about it, but I just don't know how if I can't speak.

We are a few corridors away when the humans hear the moans of the Redeads. Aryll whimpers and Mido cringes. A look of understanding passes over Zelda's and Rauru's face. This is going to be tough.

Yet Zelda surprises me again when she abandons Aryll's hand and marches defiantly into the room of the Redeads. I barely have time to race after her before she lets out a whistle that forms into a loud six-note tune.

A bright light flashes, blinding me temporarily. When I reopen my eyes I see Zelda ushering the rest of the group to sprint across the room. They do as they are told and make a mad dash towards the exit on the other side. The Redeads are frozen in place, their brown bodies glowing white. It is as if Zelda's song has made some kind of paralyzing affect on our foes.

"The Sun Song," Zelda answers me, exasperated and guessing my question. "It works longer on the ocarina so -,"

But she can't say another word when a loud, blood curdling scream shatters the eerie atmosphere and paralyzes Zelda on the spot.

I snap my head around and see a Redead slowly approaching her immobile body. I lunge towards the creature, the white glow now gone, and rip its throat out. It lets out a pathetic moan before crumbling on the ground. I hear other moans echoing around the room as more of them awake. Six of the creatures moan hungrily as they slowly approach Zelda's waiting body. I throw myself in front of her and spread my feet out. A deep growl rumbles in the back of my throat as I crouch down, ready to strike at any of them.

The closest one suddenly springs towards Zelda unnaturally fast and I barely manage to knock him away from her. The Redead goes flying away and collides into a wall, but it isn't done yet.

That is the least of my worries as the others continue approaching. Two of them strike at once and both wrap their bodies around Zelda's. I let out an enraged howl and throw myself at one of them while the other tightens its grip.

I knock it off and pull its throat out. Zelda's terrified scream finally shatters the room and leads it into full-blown chaos. She elbows her attacker and he collapses to the ground. In a much more panicked and terrified tone, she starts whistling out her six-note tune. She is only halfway through when another Redead screams and her body instantly freezes. The one she had hit is already back on its feet and both of them throw themselves around Zelda's body.

I smack one of them but they don't budge and continue squeezing her. She gasps for air and struggles with all her might to wiggle out of their grip, but to no avail. I see her beautiful blue eyes bulge and the color leave her face.

My mind races in desperation for a new plan as I watch more Redeads approaching. Another one lunges at Zelda and I see her growing weaker as _three_ Redeads try to suffocate her.

On instinct, I throw my head back and mimic Zelda's Sun Song with an echoing howl. Just as Zelda seems to breathe her last ragged breath, a familiar flash of light floods my vision and all the Redeads around her drop to the ground in a glowing light while the others stand where they are, frozen.

Even through the torment she has taken, Zelda manages to instantly sprint out of the room and I am right on her heels. We turn around the corner just as I hear the Redeads moaning again.

The rest of the group is huddled in a corner while Aryll comes sprinting out and wraps her tiny arms around Zelda's legs. Zelda cringes at the touch and I see all of the bruises along her arms and some on her legs. I can only imagine how damaged her torso is.

A sense of betrayal washes over me when I see her wounds. The Redeads felt like my partners, maybe not friends, but they helped me do my work. I never imagined them hurting the ones I cared about since, for so long, I didn't care about anything.

Betrayal is now replaced with rage and every fiber of my body wants to turn around and rip each and every Redead to shreds. I want to squeeze the life out of _them_. Let's see how they like it.

Though I know everybody wants to get out of here as quickly as possible, even me, so I give Zelda's hand an affectionate lick before nudging everybody to continue our journey.

The darkness sets in and everybody keeps stumbling over one another. Everyone but Zelda. Her fingers continue to lightly pet the top of my head. She does this to keep near me and to probably comfort herself. Her breathing is shallow and her eyes are still wide, like they will fall out any moment. Being almost raped by three Redeads at once must be extremely draining.

We are only one grimy hallway away from the exit when it is starting to sink in. This will be the last time I pass these disgusting stonewalls with water dripping from the ceiling and rats scurrying across the floor. I'll finally be free of this place for good.

I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't notice the strong stench of mangos when I spin around the corner until it is too late. The rest of the group all halt right behind me, and we stare in shock at the scene before us.

A man with a thick red beard and dark skin stands before a small army of five soldiers. The man looks so out of place with his shinning golden crown on his bright red hair. His matching ruby colored robes have gold trimming and his boots are made of the finest leather. I feel the hairs on the back of my head stand up as he stares at me with dark yellow eyes. It is like putting an exotic red bird in such a dank and vile maze. This person looks so familiar to me…like an old friend – no, not a friend. More like an enemy.

The soldiers behind him carry flickering torches and the firelight reflects brightly off of their silver armor. Large metal helmets cover their face entirely with only a small slit where their eye line is, giving each an emotionless expression. Long swords are attached at their belts and they stand perfectly straight. I can easily tell these must be some of the bests soldiers.

Past them is a large black door with thousands of chains and boards crossing over it, denying exit. That is where we need to go.

The silence doesn't last long and, taking a step forward, the nicely dressed man smiles and says mockingly, "It is a pleasure to see you again. It has been _far_ too long."

His voice. I know that voice far too well.

I feel my blood boiling and hatred tugging at my heart. This man – this _monster_ – dares talk to me? Insult me? My teeth clench and a threatening growl escapes me. The fool! Is he so stupid to come here? I will chase him through this labyrinth until his legs break underneath him. I'll put him through more torture than he ever did to the ones I love.

He shakes his head in mock disappointment. "Poor stupid animal," he chuckles darkly, "you don't want to be so cruel to your king. King Ganondorf…it has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"

I take a step forward and the soldiers behind him slip their swords out, the sound of metal scraping metal painful to my sensitive ears, and hold them at the ready.

I pause.

"Now that we have calmed down a bit," he clears his throat, his ruthless gold eyes glued to mine. "I have little spies in this labyrinth and I heard you and the young lady talking…" he hesitates, as if choosing his words carefully, before putting on his mocking smile and continuing. "It was quite an interesting conversation. I learned that you discovered your mother's…_unfortunate _death. Shame really, but she never was a good daughter-,"

I let out a loud bark and snap my teeth together, enraged that he would talk about my mother in such a rude manner.

The soldiers step closer.

Ganondorf grins at me, his teeth pointy like the snake he is. Clapping his hands, he continues nonchalantly, "I also heard that you and all these other commoners are planning on leaving the labyrinth. Now that just won't do, will it?" He shakes his head in fake sadness. "Just won't do…"

Suddenly, he snaps his fingers and the three soldiers around him instantly start approaching my group and me. Their armor clangs together and I feel their burning stares coming from their stone faces. I crouch down lower and snarl, showing them my deadly fangs. They hesitate for a moment and I'm ready to lunge out at any second.

"Show no fear!" Ganondorf demands, yelling and losing his cool for a moment.

The front soldier immediately swings his sword in an arch and I barely dodge underneath it. I can feel the air whistle as the blade misses me by a hair.

So many things happen at once when my animal instincts take over. The man is now unprotected, and I go for the small gap in his leg where there is no armor and manage to sink two of my teeth into it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the other soldiers rushing around in a blur of silver and I hear cries of protest from Zelda, Aryll, Mido, and Rauru. The metallic taste of blood floods my mouth and the stench fills my nose as I bite deeper, making him scream. Another blur of silver and paler colors passes me as the soldier uses his powerful fists to knock me to the side.

I stumble away and watch the man stagger in the opposite direction. Before he can reach the rest of the group, I am already on him again. My heart pounding like a drum and adrenaline pumping through my veins, I rocket from the ground and cling to his back with my claws.

He screams and struggles to shake me off but I have already found an opening in his neck. With a grunt, I use my jaws to rip off the armor that protects his now vulnerable throat.

A gurgling noise is the last sound he makes as I rip it out, and I hear somebody vomit to my right.

Jumping off the soldier's back as he collapses to the ground in his own blood, I spin back around to face the rest of my opponents. For the first time my animal instincts die down and my human ones begin to take over. Ganondorf impressively yet arrogantly stares at me while the remaining guards each hold Zelda, Aryll, Mido, and Rauru hostage. I don't need to see the soldier's faces to know that they are terrified of what I have just done, but that doesn't cause me to be ashamed. Zelda and Aryll look mortified while vomit drips from Mido's mouth. Rauru's wrinkled face is pale and is frozen in place with horror.

I wonder how Zelda feels about me now, after seeing what I did to that soldier. She is probably reconsidering her trust in me. But I would never hurt her; though I can only hope she somehow manages to catch the message.

"Soldiers!" Ganondorf barks in a rough and commanding tone. Thrusting his meaty finger at me, he bellows angrily, "Kill that monster at all costs and return the body to me. Let his little friends see their precious hero howl in pain and then, when we are back in our warm castle, we will feast on his remains!"

And he calls _me_ the monster? At least I don't eat my victims.

Three soldiers (the other one guarding his prisoners) don't say a word as they line up horizontally in front of Ganondorf, as if making some kind of wall. They all hold their flaming torches in their left hands and their long swords in their right. They slowly start making their way towards me, the clatter of metal echoing through the labyrinth once again.

My mind races as I try to develop a plan to kill these men. I cannot attack them like I did to the other soldier because surely one of them will instantly kill me when I make the endeavor. I am going to have to improvise.

Crouching down, I allow them to get as close as possible and, even with their helmets covering their faces, I can tell they are confused why I am not moving yet. One of them gives a tiny shrug before thrusting his sword at me.

I see this coming and instantly spin on my heels and start sprinting away down the corridor I had originally come through. The sound of footsteps and clanking metal soon follows as the soldiers begin chasing me and I hear Ganondorf's amused chuckle. My heart tugs at the thought of abandoning Zelda and the rest of them, but this is the only option I can think of in such short time.

The darkness swallows up everything but my trained eyes quickly adjust. I am too far ahead of the men and I purposely slow down, not wanting them to get lost.

They come dashing around the corner, their torches flickering with each movement and the glowing light casting the oddest of shadows. Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I take off again just as they get in arms reach.

With perfect timing, I full out sprint at the last water drop into an all too familiar room. Shriveled and dark brown people shuffle around aimlessly as their moans fill my ears. The soldiers, running faster than before at my sudden dash, charge right into the room completely unaware of what is happening.

The Redeads all at once let out ear-splitting screams and the soldiers are immediately rooted to the spot. I quickly rush past them and go for the nearest frozen soldier. Performing the same trick on him, I snap the armor around his neck and pull his throat out. He crumbles to the ground just as the Redead was about to suck his life away.

Two of them are already attacking one man, who looks completely helpless, and the other is starting to slaughter one Redead while another one creeps up sluggishly behind him. It lets out another petrifying scream, freezing the remaining soldier, and that is when I know my work here is done.

I race back to the entrance of the labyrinth to find a body lying on the ground with a sword stabbed right through his heart. Blood pools from his chest and mouth and covers the ground around him. A soldier stands right next to him, his hand still resting on his blood stained sword, and stares at the corpse emotionlessly.

There is so much blood that I cannot even tell whose death it is. I gaze at the body for a few moments, trying to pick up any familiar detail, when I see the young man's clump of bright orange hair

Mido.

Beside them, Zelda holds a sobbing Aryll in her arms while she stares in horror at the body. Rauru's face is so pale that I think he is going to faint at any second. Me…I'm dumbstruck, enraged, and ready to hollow in both pain and fury. I've lost one of my men and it is my fault. I shouldn't have led the soldiers away; maybe I could have stopped him.

Zelda is the first one to notice me and her tear filled blue eyes gaze at me, begging me to save us all. I am the last hope for these people. I have to save them from this.

With the soldier unwitting to my presence, I soundlessly charge at him, my black pelt making me just another shadow. By the time he notices me it is too late because I have already thrown off his neck armor and ripped out his throat. The blood pours from his neck and mixes with the pool of red on the ground. I leap off of him just as he falls over in a heap on top of Mido.

All that leaves is Ganondorf.

I let out the loudest, most hateful, and torn howl I have ever released and throw myself towards him.

Sadly, I have underestimated my foe and he nimbly dodges my attack while kicking his leg out. His overly large foot makes contact with my side and I am thrown away before crashing against the wall.

I shake my head and blink a couple of times, not letting the attack faze me, while standing up on my shaking legs. Ganondorf marches cautiously towards me, his yellow eyes filled with hatred and I can practically see his sadistic soul in them.

My head recovering quick now, I notice Zelda tip toeing toward the fallen soldier's body that lies behind Ganondorf. With agile fingers, she manages to unhook a large iron key from his belt without a sound.

We lock eyes for just a quick moment and she passes her plan to me.

It's perfect.

I crouch down again and snarl as loudly as possible, trying to cover up any noise she might accidentally make. I do my best to keep my eyes focused on him rather than Zelda, Aryll, and Rauru struggling to fit the large key into the hole of the massive door. The iron hitting metal lets out a few _clanks _and I start barking incessantly to try to cover it up.

"Silence, beast," Ganondorf snarls as he slips out a long rapier from his belt. His gleaming eyes reflect off the shinning blade as he backs me up against the wall. I'm now trapped between saving myself and the people who are innocent. I can destroy Ganondorf, but that would risk him discovering Zelda and the other's plans. But I could save myself...have another chance at life. Zelda said I'm not evil, so why shouldn't I get a second chance?

But I know what I must do.

Zelda…I'm going to miss you.

My animal instinct roars inside of me to move out of the way as the blade comes flying towards my chest. With a pounding heart and, for the first time, _fear_ buzzing inside my head, I allow the sword to go straight through my chest and stab deep into my flesh.

Pain erupts in my heart but I don't make a sound as my own blood spills from my open chest and splatters down to the ground, splashing against my black fur. I struggle for air but my lungs won't work, my brain won't work, my heart won't work. When I thought of this, I wasn't expecting it to be so excruciating. No amount of torture could prepare me for the feeling of the blade's sharp edges cutting so easily through my muscle and scraping some bones. The sword wedged into me is all that is holding me up right now. However, I do not scream, moan, or wail. Even if I could I wouldn't because I will never give Ganondorf – my grandfather – the satisfaction.

I feel my end coming but, through all of my torment and painful shakes, I hear the door clicking loudly in the distance. I see Zelda shove Aryll and Rauru through the opening and daylight pours in through the small crack, only a mere sliver, but it is enough to blind me.

Ganondorf pulls his sword out and spins around to see the commotion. Warm, sticky crimson liquid clings to my fur as I collapse down in my own pool of blood. Everything goes blurry and black dots begin to swarm my vision like bees. Feeling in my body begins to die away, even the pain in my chest, but only slightly. I can no longer taste the blood in my mouth or smell the reek of death, mangos, woods, and flowers. With all of my might I struggle to hold my eyes open and keep my ears up just a bit longer to see if my efforts were futile.

Zelda screams out my name, her cry tortured sounding and tears streaming down her face. Her beautiful image is but a blur of yellow as Ganondorf begins rushing towards her and the open door. I feel her sorrow and heartbreak from across the room as she forces herself to slip outside and slam the door shut on Ganondorf.

When the world goes dark around me, I cannot tell if it is because death is approaching quicker or if it is because my only way out – _Ganondorf's _only way out – is now long gone. All feeling is now gone: the blood sticking to my body, the searing pain tearing my insides, and my cracked head, as if somebody cracked my skull in half. The only thing left my body has is its hearing, and, with that, I listen to the sound of Ganondorf crying out in fury as he bangs on the door with his meaty fists.

That will never save him. I've tried.

His beatings continue to ring in my ears but they soon begin to die down until all that I hear are his whimpers. He's now stuck down here. He will die by either starvation, insanity, or the Redeads, whichever comes first.

Death is here now and I smile at it. I smile at the bright future that I have hopefully given to Zelda, Aryll, and Rauru. I smile because I will soon be with my mother and father where we will live in peace with the goddesses. I smile because justice has been served on the murderous king and maybe Hyrule will finally have a benevolent ruler.

I smile because I am no longer a killer.

But a savior.


End file.
